Flowering Trees in Atlanta

Sourwood

Sourwood trees (Oxydendrum arboreum) are flowering Atlanta trees that reach a height of approximately 40 to 60 feet with a spread of 25 to 30 feet, making this a suitable plant for home gardeners looking for a larger tree. Taking on an oval to pyramidal shape, sourwoods are prized for their spring clustered white, cream and gray flowers with green leaves that turn to fiery orange and red hues during autumn. Sourwoods also produce tiny brown berries, though they are of no ornamental value. Gardeners should grow this tree in full sun to partial shade and in a well-drained loam soil with a slightly acidic pH.

Devil's walkingstick trees (Aralia spinosa) grow in Atlanta with a showy display of white, cream and gray flower panicles that grow to a length of 3 feet above tiny near-black berries. As the ominous name implies, the trunk is slim and covered in spikes as are the edges of the large leaves that measure 4 feet in length. These trees can grow to a height of 10 to 30 feet and a spread of 6 to 10 feet. Well-suited for the home garden border, this flowering tree is versatile as it thrives in a wide array of conditions. Preferring full sun to partial shade, devil's walkingstick will grow in any well-drained soil.

Fringetrees, or white fringetrees (Chionanthus virginicus) produce a delicate visual impact in the home garden due to their clustered white blossoms that resemble fringe, as the name suggests. A flowering tree of Atlanta, the fringetree displays a shrub-like appearance while reaching a height and spread of 15 to 20 feet. Well-suited for use in mass plantings or on its own, the fringetree's green foliage remains green or changes to a yellow hue during autumn. Sun requirements are easy to achieve since this tree will thrive in full sun to partial shade. Ideal soil conditions are moist and well-drained, but fringetrees can tolerate brief periods of wet soil, though prolonged wetness can lead to rot problems. Tiny blue berries appear only on female trees.

Winterking hawthorn trees (Crataegus viridis) display tiny white, cream and gray flowers that remain on the tree during the winter, as the name suggests. The showy flowers remain after green leaves become orange, bronze and red and then fall from the tree (See Ref 1 and 5). In addition to the changing foliage, winterking hawthorn yields reddish orange berries and the silver-hued bark sloughs off of the trunk to display a vivid orange color during the colder months, as well, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension. This flowering hawthorn grows to a height and spread of 20 to 30 feet in Atlanta, preferring full sun and thriving in well-drained soil.